(WSB photos by Jason Grotelueschen)

Chief Sealth International High School‘s athletics program had a lot to celebrate at last night’s Winter Sports Banquet!

First, a signing ceremony celebrating CSIHS’s flag-football star Eleana Lee, who’s already been honored with the new Maxwell Award as the best player in the state, and was Metro League MVP. The sport isn’t offered at every school, noted coach Kyler Gaither, but she’s signed with the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes. Her proud family was there to celebrate, too:

Sealth athletic director Ernest Policarpio gave a recap of the school’s winter success, including the achievements by a girls’ wrestling program that, as he described it, has become a “dynasty” with 6 Metro championships he recounted other championships and state contenders too:

The Seahawk Awards were presented to one outstanding student-athlete in each sport, recognized as outstanding scholars as well as for their leadership on the field or court.

Those winners are (including the seven in our photo): Ryan Nguyen for boys’ swim/dive, Owen Wright for boys’ wrestling, Keimani Proctor-Mills for girls’ basketball, Chase Valdez for boys’ basketball, Evie Nelson for girls’ bowling, Petra Sheppard for girls’ wrestling, Eleana Lee for flag football, Ryan Tran for cheer.

Also presented: the new “Above and Beyond” Awards:

These went to Micah Policarpio for boys’ wrestling, where he took second in state; Xavier Nguyen, also a wrestler, who took third in state; Lucy Self, girls’ wrestling, who took third in state; Gianna Moore, gymnastics, who competed at state; Dominic Milanese, boys’ swimming; and Karen Chiem, flag football.

Next up for local high-school athletes – the spring sports season, starting in March!